Context and culture: African-American elders’ experiences of depression

Abstract

The word ''depression'' is used in many forums, such as clinically or colloquially. Our study explored how the word is used culturally and experientially in a particular group of individuals. In this article, we examine the meaning of depression to a sample of 60 African-American men and women with varying levels of health and functional status. We presented the word depression in our interview questionnaire but did not pre-define the word, nor did anyone in the sample ask us to define it. A key finding of this article is that the way in which persons construct an experience of depression, their expression of it, and their perception of an appropriate resolution emerges from their belief system. Our data offered a window into the internal world of elders, particularly the cultural and religious beliefs and traditions that shaped their processes of defining, interpreting, and resolving depression. For this group, resolving depression meshed with the spiritual adaptive strategies, such as reliance on God, community, self, and others, that they used throughout life to deal with negative circumstances.

A Measurement Model of Depressive Symptoms among Older, African American Women

“…Throughout the literature, several theoretical perspectives are used to analyze this social problem, including the life course perspective, psychology of religion, stress and coping model, and social cognitive theory. More than one theory is often used concurrently to examine depression among African Americans (Black, Gitlin, & Burke, 2011). Given their unique history in the United States and their continued plight and circumstances, it is important to look at older African American women from varying perspectives.…”

“…The major theoretical perspectives used to guide this study were social construction theory and intersectionality. These perspectives do not entirely explain depression among older African American women; however, they do offer an overarching framework for better understanding the factors connected to depression within this group (Black et al, 2011).…”

“…Social construction and intersectionality are complementary frameworks. The social constructionist theory views experiences, such as depression, as culturally and socially constructed (Black et al, 2011). Depression develops in a context, as opposed to developing independent of one's experience (Black et al, 2011;Black & Rubinstein, 2009;Black et al, 2007).…”

“…The social constructionist theory views experiences, such as depression, as culturally and socially constructed (Black et al, 2011). Depression develops in a context, as opposed to developing independent of one's experience (Black et al, 2011;Black & Rubinstein, 2009;Black et al, 2007). Older adults are the active creators of their own unique worlds and as the experts in explaining those worlds to other individuals (Black et al, 2011).…”

“…Depression develops in a context, as opposed to developing independent of one's experience (Black et al, 2011;Black & Rubinstein, 2009;Black et al, 2007). Older adults are the active creators of their own unique worlds and as the experts in explaining those worlds to other individuals (Black et al, 2011). Furthermore, the intersectionality perspective in aging research, especially quantitative aging research, is scarce, yet offers the ideal foundation for exploring the effect of various risk and protective factors on depression for African American women (Mair, 2010).…”